Theological Dean Transition

Dr. Maxine Beach is retiring after ten years of extraordinary service as Dean of the Drew Theological School. During Maxine’s tenure, Seminary Hall was recreated with the addition of state-of-the-art classrooms, preaching and language labs, and a spacious atrium for community gatherings. Classrooms and offices in the historic section of the structure, Drew’s first academic building, have also been renovated and the entire building is now handicap accessible.

Maxine has created a vibrant sense of community within the Theological School, respecting the roots and traditions of the seminary while assuring that its curriculum, student body and ethos are in step with the world around us. Theological education at Drew today emphasizes social justice, sensitivity to realities of an interfaith world, and the ability to interpret tradition in a way that is useful to the present-day community.

Dean Beach has strengthened the seminary’s relationship with the United Methodist Church, through her service on various boards from the New Jersey Annual Conference to the Global Board of Higher Education and Ministry. These relationships have resulted in ongoing support from the Ministerial Education Fund and the selection of Drew University as home to the Communities of Shalom.

Her leadership has also helped garner major grants such as those from the Luce Foundation for the Center for Christianities in Global Contexts, Arthur Vining Davis Foundations for Seminary Hall and the Clergy Health & Wellness Initiative, and Jesse Ball DuPont Foundation for the Prophetic Leaders in Action series.

Maxine Beach’s success as Dean has been an enormous asset to the Search Committee’s recruitment efforts. The strong position of the Theological School has attracted many well qualified candidates to apply for the deanship. The Search Committee, which includes representatives from all parts of the university community, is currently engaged in the difficult process of selecting those with whom they will have preliminary interviews. The committee plans to bring a short list of two or three candidates for on-campus interviews in February.